Continuous mining and loading machine



Sept. 25, 1956 s. c. MOON 2,764,396

CONTINUOUS MINING ANO LOADING MACHINE Filed Aug. 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATT'Y S. C. MOON CONTINUOUS MINING AND LOADING MACHINE Sept. 25, 1956 United States Patent CONTINUOUS MINING AND LOADING MACHINE Sterling C. Moon, Worthington, Ohio, assgnor to The Jeffrey Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Ohio Application August 25, 1949, Serial No. 112,248

8 Claims. (Cl. 262-9) This invention relates in general to mining machines and more particularly to that type of mining machine which is adapted to mine and load coal continuously.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved mining machine and more particularly a mining machine of the above mentioned type.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mining machine adapted to mine coal continuously in which there is a coal mining mechanism for cutting plane kerfs in solid coal at various heights above the mine room floor and in which there is preferably, although not necessarily, mechanism in the plane kerf cutting means of the mining mechanism for breaking down solid coal while the kerf cutting means is within a cut kerf. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mining machine adapted to mine and load coal continuously in which there is mining mechanism for cutting a kerf in solid coal adjacent the mine room floor and for loading mined coal from the floor, the kerf cutting mechanism of said mining mechanism preferably, a1- though not necessarily, including means for breaking down solid coal while the kerf cutting means is within a cut kerf.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mining machine including a mining mechanism at the front thereof adapted to cut a plane horizontal kerf in solid coal at any of various heights above the mine room floor, the mining mechanism preferably, although not necessarily, including means in its kerf cutting mechanism for breaking down solid coal when said kerf cut-y ting means is within a cut kerf.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mining machine including a mining mechanism adapted to cut a plane kerf in solid coal at any of various heights above the mine room floor, the mining mechanism being carried for adjustment about a horizontal axis the position of which axis may be adjusted, and a vertical axis whereby the mining mechanism may be positioned to cut coal as aforesaid.

Another object of the invention is to provide in any of the mining machines set forth in the foregoing objects a conveyor which extends across the mining machine and conveys coal mined by the mining mechanism thereacross.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a mining machine an improved trough structure for supporting an extensible endless chain conveyor.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figs. l and 2 are side views in elevation and a plan view, respectively, of a continuous mining and loading machine which embodies features of the invention, the machine including a mining and loading mechanism and a discharge conveyor boom portion the positions of which rice may be adjusted with respect to the main frame, as indicated in phantom in the figures;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation` of the mining machine seen in Fig. 1, the view showing the mechanism which carries the mining mechanism i'ri its extended position;

Fig. 4 is a view in plan of the front portion of one of the coal mining mechanisms carried by the conveyor supporting mechanism of the machine seen in Figs. l, 2 and 3;

Fig. 5 is a view in section, the section being taken substantially on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a View in section on a larger scale, the section being taken substantially on line 6 6 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 7 is a View partlyin section and partly in elevation showing a hydraulic coal breakdown jack in a kerf cutter bar, the section being taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 2, the hydraulic jack being shown one-half in section and in its expanded position and one-half in elevation with the pistons dotted in the positions which they occupy when the jack is contracted.

The continuous mining and loading machine 210, seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is of low overall height and therefore is adapted to operate in low coal.

The main frame 211 of the mining machine 210 is of welded plate construction and it includes a pair of spaced box-like crawler frame portions 212 (see Fig. 6) around each of which there travels the tread chain 213 of a crawler. A bottom main frame plate 214 extends between the box-like crawler frame portions 212 and upon this bottom plate 214 there is a pair of longitudinally extending box-like side frame members 215. Side frame members 215, like the crawler frame portions 212 are formed of plates welded together but the bottom plate 214 of main frame 211 forms the bottom member of the side frame members 215. Side frame members 215 are each spaced inwardly of and extend parallel with the crawler frames 212 and longitudinally of the mining machine 210. The top plate of each of crawler frames 212 extends laterally outwardly of the upright side plates thereof and each of the top plates 216 is welded along one edge to the outside vertically extending plate of the adjacent side frame members 215. The outside edge of each of the top plates 216 has welded thereto a vertically extending ange plate 217 which with the top plate 216 and the outside vertically extending plate of the adjacent side frame member 215 form a track or channel 218 in which the top run of a crawler tread chain 213 travels.

The side frame members 215 adjacent the front end 219 of main frame bottom plate 214 are connected by an arcuate box-like member 220 (see Fig. 3) which is the front member of the frame 211 and at'the rear the side frame members 215 are connected by a box-like frame member 221 extending transversely of the main frame and welded at its ends to the side members 215 and along its bottom to the rear edge of bottom plate 214. At its rear end the main frame 211 includes a pair of horizontally disposed supports 222 that extend rearwardly from the rear cross member 221. Supports 222 carry a pair of spaced upright guides 223 adapted to straddle and prevent lateral movement of all but the discharge portion 224 of a discharge boom 225 for an endless chain discharge conveyor 226 that extends longitudinally across the main frame 211.

The discharge boom 225 includes a front trough portion 227 comprising a front piece 228 and a rear piece 229 pivoted together for adjustment about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the main frame 21=1 by a pair of turnbuckles 230 upon a pair of hinges 231 spaced one at each side of the trough pieces 228 and 229. The front piece 228 of front trough portion 227 is carried by main frame 211 for vertical swinging movement or adjustment about the horizontal axis of pins 232 carried in spaced brackets 233 supported upon the tops of the spaced side frame members 215.

The rear end of the rear piece 229 of the front trough portion 227 forms a turntable 231i to which the front end of the discharge portion 224 is pivoted through vertically aligned pivot pins 235 and a pair of hydraulic motors 236 mounted one at each side of the discharge portion 224 are provided for swinging the discharge portion of boom 225 from side to side .about the generally upright or vertical axis of the pins 235, as indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2. The entire discharge boom 225 is swung, elevated or adjusted vertically about the axis of the pins 232 by a pair of hydraulic piston motors 237 supported pivotally upon the supports 222 that extend rearwardly Ifrom main frame 211. There is a second pair of upright spaced guide members 233 positioned forwardly of lthe guide members 223 that straddle the front piece 22S of the discharge boom 225 for preventing lateral movement of it.

The main frame 211 of the mining machine 21@ .receives for longitudinal rectilinear sliding movement or adjustment therein a slide frame 239 which like the main frame 21'1 is of welded plate construction. 'Slide frame 239 includes a base plate 240 that rests and slides upon f the bottom plate 214 of main frame 211 between the side main frame members 215. There is a pair of upstanding spaced plates 241 welded along their bottom edges to the base plate 240 that forms the main side members of the slide frame 239. Near the bottom of each of the spaced side plates 241 and extending throughout the major portion of their length there is an outwardly extending hollow rectangular frame portion or rail v242. The oppositely spaced rail portions 242 each slides below a gib 243 in a way 244 provided by the side frame members 215 and Within each of the rail portions 242 Ithere is `disposed a double acting hydraulic piston motor 245. The cylinder of each of the motors 245 is connected to the main frame 211 'by a pin 246 and the piston rod of each motor is connected to the slide frame 239 by pins 247.

`It will be seen that when the motors 245 are expanded the slide frame 239 will be moved or adjusted toward the front of main frame 211 and that when the motors 245 are contracted the slide frame '239 will be moved toward the rear of the main frame 211. At its front end the slide frame 239 carries a bottom forwardly extending bracket 248 and a top forwardly extending bracket 249 that receive on a common upright or vertical axis a pair of pivot pins 250 and 251, respectively. The bottom bracket 24S -is carried by the slide frame 23'9 forwardly of an upright wall 252 from which there extends rearwardly .a downwardly curved plate 253 that is secured at its rear end to the base plate 240.

Spaced above the upright wall 252 there is a box-like structure 254 that extends transversely between the side plates 24d. Top bracket 249 extends forwardly from this box-like structure 254. Between the spaced side plates 241 and adjacent the top thereof there is a horizontal plate 255 which cooperates with those portions of the spaced side plates 241 extending thereabove to form that portion 256 of the conveyer trough that lis provided by the slide frame 239. The trough Ibottom plate 255 is attached at its front end to a reinforcing and bed plate 157 of a turntable 258 of which the brackets '245 and 249 form a part. A plate 26?. between the plates 255 and 257 reinforces the slide frame 239.

Support-ed for Vertical movement .about the common horizontal axis of .a pair of spaced pivot pins '259 carried by the plates 241 is avrearwardly extending bridge or trough portion 260 that bridges or connects the trough portion 256 of slide frame 239 and the front piece 227 of the discharge boom 12215. Bridge or trough portion 260 telescopes within the front piece 228 and rides upon its trough bottom 262 which is above a reinforcing plate position of the latter is adjusted by the hydraulic motors 237.

A frame 264 that forms a conveyer trough portion 265 and a support for a combination plane kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism 266 extends forwardly from the front end of the slide frame 239. Erame 264 is carried at its rear end by the slide frame 239 upon the brackets 248 and 249 and the pins 250 and 25E-l which together with lbifurcated brackets attached to the frame 264 form hinges. The frame 265: may be swung or moved from side to side, as indicated in dot-dash `lines in Fig. 2, 'about the upright or vertical axis of the pins 25d and 251 :by a pair of piston type hydraulic motors 267 mounted one at each side of the frame 264i. Frame 264 includes a horizontally disposed plate 258 which forms the bottom of the conveyer portion 2do' of the frame 254 and a part of a turntable 269. Frame 264 also includes a plate 27@ disposed below the plate 268 that forms a support over which the bottom or nonconveying run 271 of the endless chain conveyer 226 slides. Plates 268 and 27o terminate rearwardly of the front of the spaced upright side members of frame 264 adjacent an idler shaft 272 that extends transversely of the frame 264.

The supporting frame of the combination plane kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism 266 extends rearwardly between the upright side members of the frame 2nd and at its rear end is supported for swinging movement or adjustment on a transverse horizontal axis upon the idler shaft 272 by a pair of hydraulic piston motors 274 one of which is carried by the front end or' each of the upright side members of frame 264i and the piston rods of which are connected to the frame 273. Frame 27.3 includes a transversely extending top plate 275 and a transversely extending bottom plate 276 that extend between its upright side members 'that terminate at the rear adjacent the idler shaft 272 and at the front adjacent a cross shaft 277 carried by and extending transversely within the frame 273 that is driven by the endless conveyor 226.

Frame 273 of the combination plane kerf cutting coal gathering and loading mechanism 266 carries directly the rear portion 278 of each of a pair of jointed spaced side by side plane kerf cutter and loader bars or frames 279 and 26o. An endless kerf cutter and loader chain indicated by a dot-dash line 2531?. and provided with cutter bits travels around the outer periphery of each of the frames 279 and 250 in a track or chain guideway 282.

The rear portion 27S of each of the fran es 279 and 22d also each carry an endless loader chain indicated by dot 'dash lines 283 that travel in guideways or tracks around the periphery thereof. These loader chains may be provided, if desired, with outwardly extending flights and bits, not shown, for aiding in propelling or moving mined coal rearwardly through a conveyor way 234 between them and the kerf cutter chains 282i therebelow.

At the rear of-each of the rear portions 278 there is a compound drive sprocket 235 mounted upon the supporting frame 273 for rotation about a generally upright axis. Sprockets 235 are driven from the shaft 277 through gearing, not shown, contained within the frame 273. The endless chains 231 and 283 of the combination plane kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism 26o travel around the compound sprockets 225 and are driven in opposite directions so that the adjacent runs of the chains 281 and 253 travel rearwardly through the conveyerway 284,

Fihe loader frames 279 and 23o each include a rear portion 27S and a ,fiat nose or front portion 236 that is pivoted to the rear portion 278 for movement or adjustment about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the frames 279 and 2do. rfhe front or nose portion 286 of each frame 279 or 280 is supported in cantilever from the rear portion 278 upon a shaft 287 (see Figs. 4 and 5). Shaft 287 is bearinged in side brackets 288 that extend forwardly of the rear portion 278 it is fixed by keys similar to the key 289 seen in Fig. 5 in ears or lugs 290 that extend rearwardly from the nose portion 286. A housing 291 mounted in a central recess in the rear portion 278 surrounds and supports the center portion of shaft 287. Keyed to that portion of the shaft 287 that is within the housing 291 by the key 289 is a gear segment 292 that extends rearwardly within the housing 291 and meshes with a gear 293 keyed to a cross shaft 294 carried by housing 291. A forked gear rack or slide 295 carried within the housing 291 straddles the gear segment 292 and meshes with gear 293. The piston shaft of a Idouble acting hydraulic motor 296 carried within the rear frame portion 278 is connected with the forked gear rack 295. It will be seen that when the rack 295 is moved forwardly, as seen in Fig. 5, by the motor 296 that gear 293 will be rotated in a clockwise direction causing the gear segment 292 to turn in a counter-clockwise direction to swing or adjust the nose or front frame portion 286 upwardly or counter-clockwise about the transverse axis of shaft 287 and that when the rack 295 is moved rearwardly or to the left, the nose or front frame portion will be swung or adjusted in a clockwise direction about the axis of shaft 287.

The motors 296 in each of the rear portions 278 are hydraulically interconnected in order that the spaced side by side nose or front frame portions 286 will swing together, that is, so that they will always lie in the same plane irrespective of their adjusted position about the axis of shaft 287.

Each of the nose or front frame portion 286 carries at its front end a pair of hydraulic coal breakdown jacks 297 that are adapted to break down solid coal when the kerf cutter bar assembly is within a cut kerf. The frames 286 are each provided with a pair of circular openings one of which is seen at 101 in Fig. 7. Each circular opening 101 is preferably provided with three spaced vertically extending slots one of which is seen at 102 and each of which receives an ear or lug 103 on the body 104 of the breakdown jack 297 which is carried for oating movement within the circular opening 101. The bottom plate 85 is provided with an opening 105 of such diameter as to receive loosely the bottom of the body 104. Ears 103 extend radially outwardly above the bottom plate 85 and into the slots 102. It will thus be seen that the bottom plate 85 normally supports the breakdown jack 297 within the frame 286 in the position seen in Fig. 7. The top plate 85 of the frame 286 receives a threaded ring 106 which loosely surrounds the top of the body 104. This mounting arrangement provides for floating movement of the breakdown jack 297 within the cutter bar assembly.

Each coal breakdown jack 297 includes a circular cuplike body 104 within which there are three telescoping pistons 107, 108 and 109. Body 104 has a passageway 110 by which hydraulic fluid supplied from a hydraulic pump (not shown) carried by the main frame 12 may enter the jack 297 to expand it and leave the jack as it is contracted. The body 104 of the hydraulic jack 297 also includes a passageway similar to passageway 110, not shown, which connects with an annular channel 111 in a ring 112 threaded into the body 104. Ring 112 surrounds the neck of the largest diameter piston 107 and is engaged by a shoulder 113 of the latter to retain the piston against expulsion from the body 104. Annular channel 111 connects with the space 114 between the ring 112 and the shoulder 113 of piston 107. A passageway 115 in piston 107 connects with a space 116 similar to space 114 but between the pistons 107 and 108, and between a closure ring 117 threaded into the outer end of the piston 107 and a shoulder 118 of the center piston 108. A passageway 119 in piston 108 extends between the space 116 to a space 120 between a shoulder 121 on piston 109 and a ring 122 threaded'into the outer-end of piston 108. The pistons 107, 108 and 109 are each provided with sealing cups 123 clamped to the respective pistons by threaded rings 124 and the rings 112, 117 and`122 each carry sealing cups 125 for sealing them with the pistons which they surround. lt will be seen that when the breakdown jack 297 is to be expanded, hydraulic fluid under pressure will be supplied through the passageway 110 into the body 104 of the jack and that all of the pistons 107, 108 and 109 will move outwardly of lthe jack body 104 or downwardly to the position indicated in the right half of Fig. 7. It will also be seen that when the jack 297 is to be contracted, hydraulic fluid entering the jack 297 through annular channel 111 will be conducted to each of the spaces 114, 116 and 120 and that the pistons 107, 108 and 109 will be moved to the position shown in the left half of Fig. 7.

The endless chain conveyor 226 travels aroundy the cross shaft 277 in the frame 273 with the top or working run thereof sliding rearwardly through the conveyer supporting trough that extends across the mining machine 210 to-a rear or tail shaft 298 carried by the discharge conveyer portion 224. Shaft 298 carries a con veyer chain drive sprocket over which the endless chain discharge conveyer travels and it is driven by a pair of rotary hydraulic motors 299 through reduction gearing. One motor 299 and its reduction gearing is mounted at each side of the discharge conveyor portion 224. From the conveyery drivesprocket of drive shaft 298 the return or non-conveying run 271 of conveyer 226 extends forwardly below the conveyer portion 224 over aniidler roll 301 carried below and at the rear end of the front trough portion 227 to an idler shaft 302 extending through slots in the side plates 241 and carried at its ends in bearings 303 mountedy upon the opposite side frame members 215 (see Fig. 6). From the idler shaft 302 the non-Working run 271 travels rearwardly to and over a shaft 304 that is adjustably carried within, slots 305 in the rear of the slide frame 239. Shaft 304 is adjustable within the slots 305 for adjusting the tension of the endless chain conveyer 226. From the shaft 304 the non-conveying run 271 extends forwardly over the bottom plate 240 of slide frame 239 and under an idler roller or shaft 306 also carried by the slide frame 239. From idler roller or shaft 306 the run 271 of conveyer 226 rides over the curved bottom plate 253, the plate 270 of frame 264 and the plate 276 of frame 273 to the head or cross shaft 277.

Because the tail shaft 298 and the idler shaft 302 are at all times substantially in fixed longitudinal relationship with each other and the main frame 211 and because the head shaft 277 and idler shaft 304 are also substantially at all times in ixed longitudinal relationship with each other and the slide frame 239, the slide frame 239 and the structures carried thereby may be adjusted longitudinally as a unit either forwardly or rearwardly upon the main frame 211, that is, when the slide frame 239 is moved forwardly a given distance the distance between the head shaft 277 and the tail shaft 298 is increased the given distance, but because the idler shaft 304 also moves forwardly the given distance toward the idler shaft 302 the distance between or the length of that portion of the conveyer 226 lying between the shafts 302 and 304 is decreased by the given distance or by an amount equal to the increase in the idistance between the head shaft 277 and tail shaft 29S. Thus the lengt-h of the chain which forms the discharge conveyer 226 will remain substantially constant in all positions of the frames 211 and 239 with respect to each other.

In the machine 210, just as in the machine 140, all of the hydraulically driven mechanisms are driven from hydraulic pumps, not shown, associated with electric motors 312, one of which is disposed at each side of the main frame 211 and the endless conveyer 226.

The mining machine 210 is highly versatile and exible and one method by which it may be caused to mine and load coal is illustrated in Fig. l wherein the machine 210 is shown in a mine room. With the machine contracted, that is, with the slide frame 239 positioned toward the rear or left end of the machine as seen in Fig. l, the mining machine 210 is brought by the crawlers 213 to the mine room face 307. After the machine 210 is positioned adjacent the mine room face 307 the hydraulic motors 274 are operated to elevate the combination plane kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism 266 and the motors 296 are operated to position the nose or front portions 286 thereof to a level plane. With the nose portions thus positioned and the discharge conveyer 226 and chains 281 and 283 in operation, the hydraulic motors 245 are operated to move the slide frame 239 forwardly within the main frame 211. This movement, of course, will cause the nose portions 286 to be surnped slowly into the solid coal of the mine room face while the kerf cutter chains 281 cut a plane kerf 208 into the solid coal of the mine room. During this cutting operation kerf cuttings removed from the kerf by the cutter chains 281 will be ejected rearwardly by the adjacent runs of the cutter chains 281 traveling rearwardly through the conveyerway 284 and ,thrown generally upon the working run of the discharge conveyer 226 which will convey them rearwardly and discharge them from the machine 210 over the discharge boom 225, the rear end of which has been previously placed over a shuttle car, conveyer, hopper or the like.

When the kerf 308 has been completed, the slide frame 239 is retracted by the motors 245 to withdraw the nose portions 286 and cutter chains 281 from the kerf. The combination kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism is then positioned by the motors 274 and 296 so that the nose portions 286 and cutter chains 281 will cut a second ker-f 309 into the solid coal of the mine room face 307 and the slide frame 239 is caused to move forward by the motors 245. When the kerf 309 has been cut to its full depth or at any time therebefore after the breakdown jacks 297 have entered the kerf, the coal 310 above it and below the kerf 308 may be broken into lumps by the breakdown jacks 297. When the breakdown jacks 297 are operated it is desirable that the operation of the cutter chains 281 be stopped. After the coal 310 is broken into lumps it, of course, falls upon the combination coal cutting, gathering and loading mechanism and is conveyed rearwardly through the conveyerway 284 by the chains 281 and 283 which, if stopped when the jacks 297 were operated, are again caused to operate. The coal being gathered and conveyed rearwardly in the conveyerway 284 by the chains 281 and 283 is discharged or spilled upon the discharge conveyer 226 which conveys it rearwardly and discharges it over the tail shaft 298.

When the coal 310 has been removed the slide frame 239 is again retracted by motor 245 and the motors 274 and 296 are operated to cause the nose portions 286 and conveyer chains 281 to be positioned to cut a plane kerf 311 adjacent the mine room Hoor and the cutting, coal breaking and loading operations described in connection with the kerf 309 are repeated. By repeating all of the described operations the mining machine may be used as a direct frontal attack machine for cutting tunnels and the like.

The discharge boom 225 may be elevated and its rear portion may be swung from side to side to position it over a shuttle car, mine conveyer, hopper or the like.

It is obvious that the crawlers 213 may be employed to move the entire machine 210 forwardly to cause the mechanism 266 to cut the plane kerfs 308, 309 and 311, however, when the crawlers 213 are employed for that purpose the discharge portion 224, of course, also moves forwardly. By advancing and/or swinging the mechanism 266 independently of the main frame 211, the adjusted discharge point or position of the boom portion 224 need not be disturbed while the mechanism is cutting, breaking and loading coal that is withinI its reach as determined by the forward limit of movement of the slide frame 239 or main frame 211. y n

Because the frame 264 is swingable about the upright or vertical axis of turntable 269 the combination plane kerf cutting, coal gathering and loading mechanism 266 as well as the front portion of the discharge conveyer 226 may be swung, moved or adjusted from side to side with respect to the longitudinal axis of the machine 210 and this swinging or positioning of the mechanism 266 is advantageous, for example, in leveling or planing the mine room ceiling and floor and in loading coal from the latter.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the described continuous mining and loading machine 210 includes a kerf cutting and coal breakdown mechanism that may be positioned to cut a plurality of plane kerfs each of a width substantially equal to or slightly wider than the continuous mining and loading machine and one above the other at substantially any height between the mine room ceiling and oor. It will aso be seen that when the coal between these kerfs has been broken down and loaded by the mining machine, the mining machine may be advanced bodily by the crawlers into the area from which it has previously removed-coal.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims hereto appended and applicant wishes therefore not to be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A mining and loading vehicle including a main frame, a pair of spaced traction devices supporting said main frame, coal cutting, gathering and conveying mechanism at the front of said main frame including a pair of spaced side by side flat front kerf cutter chain supporting members and a rear supporting member, pivot means attaching the rear end of each of said spaced side by side flat front members to the front of said rear supporting member for movement together about a horizontal axis, powered means for adjusting said front members about said horizontal axis as aforesaid, pivot means supporting the rear end of said rear supporting member for movement about a horizontal axis, powered means `for adjusting said rear supporting member about said last named axis, an endless chain kerf cutting element traveling around each of said spaced front members and over the said rear supporting member, said endless chain kerf cutter elements cooperating to cut a plane kerf in solid coal and to convey cut and broken coal rearwardly between them and discharge it, a pair of endless chain conveying members on said rear supporting member, one above each of said endless kerf cutter chain elements, said endless chain members also being positioned to feed coal rearwardly between them, the adjustments of said front kerf cutter chain supporting members and said rear supporting member about said axes permitting positioning of said spaced side by side flat front members whereby said cutter chains may cut a plane and substantially level kerf into solid coal of a mine room wall at any height between the mine room ceiling and door, andl hydraulic -breakdown jack means in each of said spaced front members for breaking down solid coal when said spaced front members are within a cut kerf.

2. A mining and loading machine including a main frame, coal cutting, gathering and conveying mechanism at the front of said main frame including a pair of spaced side by side dat front kerf cutter chain supporting members and a rear supporting member, pivot means attaching the rear end of each of said spaced side by side fiat iront members to the front of said rear supporting member for movement together about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said front members about said horizontal axis as aforesaid, pivot means supporting the rear end of said rear supporting member for movement about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said rear supporting member about said last named axis, an endless chain kerf cutting element traveling around each of said spaced front members, said endless chain kerf cutter elements cooperating to cut a plane kerf in solid coal and to convey cut and broken coal rearwardly between them, the adjustments of said front kerf cutter chain supporting members and said rear supporting member about said axes permitting positioning of said spaced side by side at front members whereby said cutter chain elements may cut a plane and substantially level kerf into solid coal of a mine room wall at various heights between the mine room ceiling and floor, and hydraulic breakdown jack means in each of said spaced front members for breaking down solid coal when said spaced front members are within a cut kerf.

3. A mining and loading machine including a main frame, coal cutting, gathering and conveying mechanism at the front of said main frame including a pair of spaced side by side at front kerf cutter chain supporting members and a rear supporting member, pivot means attaching the rear end of each of said spaced side by side at front members to the front of said rear supporting member for movement together about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said front members about said horizontal axis as aforesaid, pivot means supporting the rear end of said rear supporting member for movement about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said rear supporting member about said last named axis, and an endless chain kerf cutting element traveling around each of said spaced front members, said endless chain kerf cutter elements cooperating to cut a plane kerf in solid coal and to convey cut and broken coal rearwardly between them, the adjustments of said front kerf cutter chain supporting members and said rear supporting member about said axes permitting positioning of said spaced side by side at front members whereby said cutter chain elements may cut a plane and substantially level kerf into solid coal of a mine room wall at any height between the mine room ceiling and floor.

4. A mining machine including a main frame, coal cutting mechanisms at the front of said main frame including flat front kerf cutter chain supporting means and a rear supporting means, pivot means attaching the rear end of said flat front kerf cutter chain supporting means to the front of said rear supporting means for movement about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said front kerf cutter chain supporting means about said horizontal axis as aforesaid, pivot means supporting said rear supporting means for movement about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said rear supporting means about said last named axis, and endless chain kerf cutting means traveling around said front means, said endless chain kerf cutter means operating to cut a plane kerf in solid coal, the adjustments of said front kerf cutter chain supporting means and said rear supporting means about said axes permitting positioning of said at front kerf cutter chain supporting means whereby said cutter chain means may cut a plane and substantially level kerf into solid coal of a mine room wall at various heights between the mine room ceiling and oor.

5. A mining machine including a main frame, coal cutting mechanism at the front of said main frame including at front kerf cutter chain supporting means and a rear supporting means, pivot means attaching the rear end of said at front kerf cutter chain supporting means to the front of said rear supporting means for movement about a horizontal axis, means for adjusting said front kerf cutter chain supporting means about said horizontal axis as aforesaid, pivot means supporting said rear supporting means for movement about a horizontal and 'a vertical axis, means for adjusting said rear supporting means about said last named axes, and endless chain kerf cutting means traveling around said front means, said endless chain kerf cutter means operating to cut a plane kerf in solid coal, the adjustments of said front kerf cutter chain supporting means and said rear supporting means about said axes permitting positioning of said flat front kerf cutter chain supporting means whereby said cutter chain means may cut a plane and substantially level kerf into solid coal of a mine room wall at various heights between the mine room ceiling and oor and whereby said front kerf cutter chain supporting means may be swung from side to side.

6. A mining machine including a main frame, kerf cutting mechanism at the front of said main frame adapted to cut a plane kerf into solid coal at any of various heights above the mine room floor and adjacent the mine roof, said kerf cutting mechanism including spaced side by side frames each having a flat front portion and a rear portion, pivot means mounting said front frame portions to said rear frame portions for adjustment about a common axis, means for adjusting said front frame portions about said axis and to any of various positions between adjacent the mine room oor and ceiling, and an endless kerf cutting chain traveling around the periphery of each of said side by side frames, said chains acting when cutting a kerf to convey cuttings between said frames.

7. A mining machine including a main frame, kerf cutting mechanism at the front of said main frame adapted to cut a plane kerf into solid coal at any of various heights above the mine room iioor, said kerf cutting mechanism including spaced side by side frames each having a fiat front portion and a rear portion, pivot means mounting said front frame portions to said rear frame portions for adjustment about a common axis, means for adjusting said front frame portions about said axis and to any of various positions between adjacent the mine room oor and ceiling, means mounting said kerf cutting mechanism for rectilinear feeding relative to said main frame, and an endless kerf cutting chain traveling around the periphery of each of said side by side frames.

8. A mining machine including a main frame, kerf cutting mechanism at the front of said main frame adapted to cut a plane kerf into solid coal at any of various heights above the mine room floor, said kerf cutting mechanism including a frame having a flat front portion and a rear portion, pivot means mounting said front frame portion to said rear frame portion for adjustment about an axis, means for adjusting said liat front frame portion about said axis and to any of various positions between adjacent the mine room floor and ceiling, means mounting said kerf cutting mechanism for rectilinear feeding relative to said main frame, and an endless kerf cutting chain traveling around the periphery of said frame.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,226,412 Thomas May 15, 1917 1,585,041 MacEachen May 18, 1926 1,682,296 Macfarren Aug. 28, 1928 1,778,295 Levin Oct. 14, 1930 1,809,282 Morgan June 9, 1931 2,210,655 Doberstein Aug. 6, 1940 2,253,941 Pray Aug. 26, 1941 2,269,781 Osgood Jan. 13, 1942 2,281,503 Levin Apr. 28, 1942 2,303,372 Levin Dec. 1, 1942 2,308,517 Konnerth Ian. 19, 1943 2,329,875 Cartledge Sept. 21, 1943 2,376,857 Arentzen May 29, 1945 2,520,040v Levin Aug. 22, 1950 

